In-Situ Marangoni Cleaning With Gas Feedback Remediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques for preventing particle contamination during semiconductor fabrication, such as Marangoni drying, are not entirely satisfactory as they may still result in particle deposition on wafers, requiring expensive hardware and significant overhead, and do not consistently produce reliable results.
Innovation Solution
An automated in-situ Marangoni cleaning system that utilizes sensors to monitor gas parameters within the cleaning chamber, allowing for real-time detection of contamination and automated remediation processes to improve wafer cleaning, including adjustments to humidity, temperature, and gas composition, ensuring effective removal of particles without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual adjustment of flow rate and pressure is performed, then Marangoni drying can be optimized, but significant overhead and expensive hardware are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves self-service through automated control of chamber atmosphere parameters. Sensors monitor humidity and gas composition, and the system automatically adjusts these parameters to maintain optimal cleaning conditions without requiring manual intervention or complex external control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control by using sensors to monitor chamber environment parameters (humidity, gas composition) and automatically adjusting these parameters to maintain optimal cleaning conditions. This closed-loop feedback system replaces manual adjustment with automated real-time control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively reduces particle contamination on wafers by enabling real-time monitoring and adaptive remediation, enhancing the reliability of the cleaning process and reducing the need for extensive manual adjustments and costly hardware.
Implementation Method 1
A method known as Marangoni drying creates a surface tension gradient to induce liquid to flow from the wafer in a manner that reduces liquid on the wafer, and thus avoids streaking, spotting, and residue marks
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, a method includes: immersing a wafer in a bath within a cleaning chamber; removing the wafer out of the bath through a solvent and into a gas within the cleaning chamber; determining a parameter value from the gas; and performing remediation within the cleaning chamber in response to determining that the parameter value is beyond a threshold value.